Textile treatment apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for treating textile fabric in knitted or woven form for effecting relaxation thereof. An openwork conveyor structure supports and conveys the fabric under treatment. An abutment means of openwork construction is arranged in spaced opposed disposition relative to the conveyor structure. First and second treatment medium feed means are arranged in opposed disposition and are adapted to apply a treatment medium to the fabric. There is relative movement between the first and second treatment medium feed means in the feed direction of the conveyor structure to provide, at least periodically, oppositely directed displacement to the fabric at successive locations in the feed direction.

[ 1 Sept. 11, 1973 TEXTILE TREATMENT APPARATUS [75] inventor: RobertAlan Collinge, Rochdale,

England [73] Assignee: F. Smith & Company (Whitworth) Limited,Whitworth, Rockdale, Lancashire, England [22] Filed: Apr. 24, 1972 [21]Appl. No.: 246,937

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Bixby i 68/205 R Miyamoto 68/205R 9/1972 I Harris 68/205 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,477,1463/1967 France 68/44 Primary ExaminerWilliam 1. Price Att0rn'eyHarringtonA. Lackey [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for treating textile fabric in knittedor woven form for effecting relaxation thereof An openwork conveyorstructure supports and conveys the fabric under treatment. An abutmentmeans of openwork construction is arranged in spaced opposed dispositionrelative to the conveyor structure. First and second treatment mediumfeed means are arranged in opposed disposition and are adapted to applya treatment medium to the fabric. There is relative movement between thefirst and second treatment medium'feed means in the feed direction ofthe conveyor structure to provide, at least periodically, oppositelydirected displacement to the fabric at successive locations in the feeddirectron.

7 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure Patented Sept. 11, 1973 TEXTILE TREATMENTAPPARATUS The invention concerns textile treatment apparatus and hasmore particular reference to apparatus primarily for use in therelaxation of fabrics comprising bulked yarns.

In order to effect relaxation of a woven or knitted fabric composed ofbulked yarns it is necessary to subject such fabric to what cangenerally be referred to as a mechanical working operation, the fabricbeing subjected to a flexing operation whilst under conditions of littleor substantially no tension.

The object of the present invention is to provide apparatus foreffecting relaxation as aforesaid which will allow of the treatment ofthe fabric with air or with a fluid as required.

In its broadest aspect the invention provides, in or for a machine forthe treatment of textile materials, opposed applicator nozzles or thelike, (or sets thereof), arranged in spaced apart disposition forpassage of a textile material therebetween, the said opposed nozzles,(or sets thereof), being adapted for relative movement in the intendedfeed direction of the material.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, the first and secondtreatment medium feed means each include a plurality of nozzle membersarranged in spaced disposition and directed transversely of the fabricunder treatment, the said nozzles being movably mounted for cyclicoscillation about respective axes spaced from outlets to the saidnozzles and extending in the transverse direction of the fabric, theoscillation of the said first and second feed means being out of phase.Preferably, the oscilations of the first and second feed means are 180out of phase. The abutment may comprise a mesh or like openworkstructure movable in synchronism with the movement of the conveyorstructure and in the same or opposite direction relative thereto.

According to another aspect of the invention apparatus for the treatmentof a fabric comprises a support conveyor, an abutment means arranged inopposed disposition relative to the conveyor and first and secondtreatment medium feed means disposed behind a support surface of thesupport conveyor and an effective surface of the abutment meansrespectively for applying treatment medium to a fabric on the saidsupport surface through such surfaces, the first and second such meansbeing adapted to apply treatment medium to opposite sides of the fabricat successive spaced locations in the feed direction of the fabric.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only,with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one embodimentthereof in side elevation. 1

Thus, referring now to the drawing, a textile treatment apparatus forthe relaxing of fabrics comprising bulked yarns comprises an endlessconveyor band 11 disposed within and adapted to move a fabric 12 undertreatment longitudinally of a casing 13, an abutment means defined by afurther endless band 14 and having an effective surface 14a arranged inopposed spaced disposition relative to the support surface Ila of theconveyor band, a first treatment fluid feed means 15 disposed beneaththe upper run of the conveyor band and having a plurality of nozzles 15afor directing treatment medium through the support surface to impinge onthe fabric carried thereby, and a second treatment fluid feed means 16arranged above the lower run of the said further endless band and havinga plurality of nozzles 16a for directing treatment medium through theeffective surface 14a and onto the fabric.

The conveyor band 11 and endless band 14 are trained around suitablesupport rollers 17 for support thereby, one or more of the supportrollers 17 of each band being driven thereby to advance the said band.Conveniently the bands 11, 14 are driven at the same linear speed and insuch direction that there is no relative motion between the opposedsupport surface 11a and effective surface 140. However, in somecircumstances it may be found preferable to introduce a relativemovement between surface 11a, 14a.

Both conveyor band 11 and endless band 14 are of open constructionthereby to provide minimal restriction only to the passage of treatmentmedium therethrough.

The first and second treatment medium feed means 15, 16 are of a likekind, and thus only one will be referred to in detail, it beingunderstood that such means will be arranged in opposed disposition ateither side of the fabric being treated and each will supply medium tosuch fabric through the support surface 11a or effective surface 14a; asappropriate. Thus, each feed means comprises a plenum 15a, 16a connectedwith a supply of treatment medium through suitable ducting, ,not shown,and a plurality of nozzle members mounted in each such plenum foroscillating motion therein, the nozzle members extending fromedge-to-edge of the fabric in the transverse direction thereof andhaving an elongate slot through which treatment medium is directedtowards the fabric, treatment medium being fed to the nozzle membersfrom the plenum by which such are mounted and a suitable sealing meansbeing provided between the outer surface of the nozzle member and theunderside (or upperside) of the plenum.

The nozzle members are arranged for oscillation about respective axesparallel to and spaced from the elongate nozzles, the nozzle members ofthe first feed means moving in like manner and in a direction oppositeto those of the second feed means. Movement may be effected by cam oreccentrically controlled linkages.

In the apparatus illustrated the first and second feed means eachinclude three plenums arranged in adjacent side-by-side disposition inthe longitudinal direction of the fabric, although a greater or lessernumber may be provided if necessary.

In use, a fabric under treatment is fed to the support surface of theconveyor band from a previous process step by any convenient means whichgives an over feed in relation to the linear speed of the conveyorstructure, and treatment medium, say a solvent, is applied to oppositesides of the fabric through the nozzle members of the first and secondfabric feed means l5, 16, such medium being drawn from within the casingby suitable fan means provided in the aforementioned ducting, whichducting further includes a heater coil or coils as required. Therelative movement of the nozzle members of the first and second meanscauses the fabric, which fabric exists on the support surface of theconveyor in an intensioned or substantially intensioned state, to assumea ripple-like configuration for varying wave length and amplitude, thefabric being continually flexed by the fluid and being caused to contactthe abutment means. It is thought that in moving from endto-end of theconveyor the fabric allows a continually changing arcuate path and thatthe flexing which results from moving in this manner, combined with therepeated contacts with the abutment means in a heated atmosphere,promotes relaxation of the fabric and an increased bulking thereof.

The solvent will be constantly recirculating and a proportion thereofwill be fed to a recovery unit, all in accordance with conventionalpractice.

As an alternative to providing cyclically oscillating nozzle membersthrough which the treatment medium is applied, the said members beingmounted in fixed plenums, the plenums of the first and second treatmentmedium feed means may be arranged for relative movement in the feeddirection of the fabric, the nozzle members being pivotally mounted ornot relative to the respective plenums as preferred. Whilst generallythe relative movement between the plenums is such that those of thefirst feeds means are moving oppositely to those of the second suchmeans in that the movement of the two sets is 180 out of phase, ifindeed both sets are moving, it may prove advantageous in somecircumstances for the plenums of the two feed means to move in the samedirection for part of the cycle.

In another arrangement, the nozzle members of one feed means are fixedin relation to those of the other such means but are arranged in offsetdisposition in the fabric feed direction.

In other arrangements the nozzles, instead of oscillatingabout an axisdirected transversely of the fabric and arranged parallel to the planethereof, are mounted for oscillation about an axis passing through the:plane of the fabric, preferably perpendicular thereto.

Whilst the provision of nozzle members with elongate nozzles isconvenient, the required jest of treatment fluid can be attained byproviding through holes in a suitable feed pipe or tube, and theforegoing apparatus can be modified accordingly if desired. Thus, as astill further alternative, the nozzles may be replaced by aperturedtubes or the like extending and movable in the longitudinal directionofthe fabric, the tubes being arranged in side-by-side disposition in thelongitudinal direction of the fabric.

The apparatus as herein disclosed may be used for the treatment of afabric with air or a fluid and is of application at any convenient stagein the treatment of the fabric. As disclosed, the apparatus is intendedfor the solvent treatment of a knitted fabric whereby not only will thefabric be subjected to the solvent for cleaning purposes, but so to willthe fabric be relaxed to improve the bulking thereof. The same or asimilar apparatus may be used for, say, wetting out a knitted fabricwhilst effecting relaxation thereof, for providing accelerated dryingofa fabric, or in the scouring or dyeing of a fabric.

What we claim is:

1. In or for a machine for the treatment of textile materials, opposedapplication means arranged in spaced apart disposition for passage of atextile material therebetween, the said application means being adaptedfor relative motion therebetween in the intended feed direction of thetextile material.

2. Apparatus for the treatment of textile fabric for effectingrelaxation thereof comprising an openwork conveyor structure forsupporting and conveying the fabric under treatment, an abutment meansarranged in spaced opposed disposition relative to the support surfaceof the conveyor structure, the abutment means being of openworkconstruction, and first and second treatment medium feed means arrangedin opposed disposition and adapted to apply a treatment medium to thefabric under treatment through the support surface of the conveyorstructure and through the abutment means respectively, there beingrelative movement between the flrst and second treatment medium feedmeans, or parts thereof, in the feed direction of the conveyor structureto provide, at least periodically, oppositely directed displacement tothe fabric at successive locations in the said feed direction thereof.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first and secondtreatment medium feed means each include a plurality of nozzle membersarranged in spaced disposition and directed transversely of the fabricunder treatment, the said nozzles being movably mounted for cyclicoscillation about respective axes spaced from outlets to the saidnozzles and extending in the transverse direction of the fabric, theoscillation of the said first and second feed means being out of phase.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the nozzle members of thefirst and second feed means are adapted to oscillate out of phase.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the abutment comprises anopenwork structure movable in synchronism with the movement of theconveyor structure.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the abutment is movable insynchronism with the movement of the conveyor structure and in the samedirection thereas.

7. Apparatus for the treatment of a fabric comprising a supportconveyor, an abutment means arranged in opposed disposition relative tothe conveyor and first and second treatment medium feed means disposedbehind a support surface of the support conveyor and an effectivesurface of the abutment means respectively for applying treatment mediumto a fabric on the said support surface through such surfaces, the firstand second such means being adapted to apply treatment medium toopposite sides of the fabric at successive spaced locations in the feeddirection of the fabric.

8 I I I?

1. In or for a machine for the treatment of textile materials, opposedapplication means arranged in spaced apart disposition for passage of atextile material therebetween, the said application means being adaptedfor relative motion therebetween in the intended feed direction of thetextile material.
 2. Apparatus for the treatment of textile fabric foreffecting relaxation thereof comprising an openwork conveyor structurefor supporting and conveying the fabric under treatment, an abutmentmeans arranged in spaced opposed disposition relative to the supportsurface of the conveyor structure, the abutment means being of openworkconstruction, and first and second treatment medium feed means arrangedin opposed disposition and adapted to apply a treatment medium to thefabric under treatment through the support surface of the conveyorstructure and through the abutment means respectively, there beingrelative movement between the first and second treatment medium feedmeans, or parts thereof, in the feed direction of the conveyor structureto prOvide, at least periodically, oppositely directed displacement tothe fabric at successive locations in the said feed direction thereof.3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first and secondtreatment medium feed means each include a plurality of nozzle membersarranged in spaced disposition and directed transversely of the fabricunder treatment, the said nozzles being movably mounted for cyclicoscillation about respective axes spaced from outlets to the saidnozzles and extending in the transverse direction of the fabric, theoscillation of the said first and second feed means being out of phase.4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the nozzle members of thefirst and second feed means are adapted to oscillate 180* out of phase.5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the abutment comprises anopenwork structure movable in synchronism with the movement of theconveyor structure.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein theabutment is movable in synchronism with the movement of the conveyorstructure and in the same direction thereas.
 7. Apparatus for thetreatment of a fabric comprising a support conveyor, an abutment meansarranged in opposed disposition relative to the conveyor and first andsecond treatment medium feed means disposed behind a support surface ofthe support conveyor and an effective surface of the abutment meansrespectively for applying treatment medium to a fabric on the saidsupport surface through such surfaces, the first and second such meansbeing adapted to apply treatment medium to opposite sides of the fabricat successive spaced locations in the feed direction of the fabric.